Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], February 20 (ANI): Youth Congress and NSUI staff on Monday staged an illustration in entrance of the workplace of the Enforcement Directorate in Raipur in opposition to the raids performed by the company on the premises of a number of Congress leaders within the state as a part of an ongoing investigation into the coal levy cash laundering case.
Amid the sturdy deployment of police and the personnel of the Central Reserve Police Pressure (CRPF), the members of the Youth Congress and NSUI staged a protest exterior the workplace of ED within the backdrop of raids on the residents of Congress leaders.
Terming the ED raids as unlucky and politically motivated, NSUI president of Raipur unit Shantanu Jha alleged that BJP is anxious by the rising recognition and progress of Congress within the state and resulting from this nervousness it’s doing such acts.
“ED has performed raids on the addresses of Congress leaders and MLAs. The company may need misplaced its approach, they’ve raided the addresses of Adani and Ambani,” Jha mentioned.
Safety personnel resorted to a gentle power as lots of of agitating staff bid to climb the barricades positioned on the premise whereby the workplace of ED is positioned.
By some means, the safety personnel managed to manage the agitators shouting slogans in opposition to the Central authorities.
Jha additional mentioned that social gathering staff got here to the gherao workplace of the central company to register their protest in opposition to the ED motion.
The raids by the federal company got here forward of the three-day plenary session of the Congress from February 24 in Raipur.
Among the many locations searched on Monday have been residential and workplace addresses of Congress leaders Ram Gopal Agarwal, Girish Devangan, RP Singh, Vinod Tiwari and Sunny Agrawal, mentioned sources.
Final month, the ED had additionally raided a number of areas in Chhattisgarh, together with that of an IAS officer, and different areas in reference to the continuing cash laundering probe into the alleged rip-off.
The federal investigation company launched a probe in October final 12 months after it raided one other IAS officer of the state, Sameer Vishnoi, and a few businessmen.
Sameer Vishnoi IAS Officer of 2009 Batch and his spouse have been discovered to be in possession of Rs 47 lakh in unaccounted money and 4 kg gold jewelry.
“The investigation pertains to “a large rip-off during which unlawful levy of Rs 25 was being extorted for each tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen”, the company alleged.
The ED had earlier claimed that Chaurasia, Vishnoi and a few coal merchants allegedly linked to them “used” their family members to create “benami” belongings after it connected their properties price greater than Rs 150 crore in December, final 12 months.
The company alleged additional {that a} “grand conspiracy” was hatched within the resource-rich state to perpetrate a coal levy ‘rip-off’ as a part of which Rs 540 crore was “extorted” during the last two years.
The investigation pertains to “a large rip-off during which unlawful levy of Rs 25 was being extorted for each tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen”, the company has alleged.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia, Vishnoi, coal dealer and alleged “foremost kingpin of the rip-off” Suryakant Tiwari, his uncle Laxmikant Tiwari and one other coal businessman Sunil Agrawal have been arrested on this case until now.
The cash laundering case stems from an Earnings Tax division grievance registered following raids by the taxman in June 2022. (ANI)
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